CHAPTER XVII

THE TRIAL

OVER a year elapsed after arrest before the prisoners
were brought to trial The procedure of justice en-
countered obstruction at every step; for large sums
of money were at the disposal of the defence
and it used them effectively. Even the first trial
in November, 1935, was defeated by obstruction
and had to be quashed. It was not until February,
1936, sixteen months after the crime, that the case
was finally heard, The influence brought to bear
on the French authorities was so strong that there
might never have been a public trial of the accused.
A simple announcement that there was no case might
have been made and the prisoners released. Money
talks in France and there was plenty of it about.

But no matter how often the hearing might be post-
poned it was bound ultimately to take place for two
reasons. The League of Nations, in the preamble to
its resolution of the i ith December, 1934, demanded that
all those responsible for the crime be punished. That
was a vague and informal demand which might have
been ignored. But the other reason was more weighty.
France was in disgrace. Through negligence in taking
proper precautions she had allowed the King of Jugo-
slavia to be killed on her soil. At Geneva she had not
championed the cause of Jugoslavia as might have been
expected of her, If she was going to allow the accom-
plices of the principal assassin to slip out of her hands
she was going to commit a mortal affront to the
Jugoslavs.